Albondigas

There is nothing better than my Spanish Meatball recipe when you want something filling, satisfying and good for you, without too many carbs.

Ingredients

• 500g lean minced beef
  
• 1 large organic or free range egg
• 2 400g tins of chopped tomatoes
• 2 organic beef stock cubes
• 1/2 small glass of red wine
  
• Dried Herbs de Provence (or a good selection of dried mixed herbs)
• 1 white onion, finely sliced
• 1 garlic clove, finely sliced, extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil, salt and ground black pepper

Preparation

Mix the mince with the egg and half the onion chopped. Season with 1 stock cube and black pepper.

Roll the mixture with your hands into ping pong sized balls and fry in oil until almost cooked (the meatballs can still be slightly pink in middle as they are going to simmer in the sauce). Be sure to turn them around now and again so they cook evenly.

Take the meatballs out and put them on a plate to rest.

Drain all but 1 tablespoon of oil in the pan, retaining the bit’s of meat that are left in the bottom of the pan.

Add the rest of the chopped onion and some finaly chopped garlic and sauté for a further 2 minutes until golden.

Add the 2 tins of chopped tomatoes and a good sprinkling of mixed herbs.

Add in the red wine and crumble in the final stock cube. Season with salt and pepper if required.

Simmer for about 10-15 minutes until the sauce thickens a little.

Add the meatballs and mix them well with the tomato sauce. Let them cook for another couple of minutes.

To avoid over eating serve in a small breakfast bowl. Love it!

Anna

anna@delite.ie

Are you that person who confidently jogs the length and width of a warm sandy strip proudly showing off your body, or are you the one hiding under a giant multicolour umbrella, a neck to toe kaftan and a magazine featuring “the best and worst beach bodies”?

Whether you are a man or a woman, there is no denying the pressures of modern society to look our best, especially in the summer when we strip ourselves of the wintery layers to reveal, well, a lot.

So, you decide to try on your last year’s holiday clothes, take a peek in the mirror, that reflective surface that ruthlessly reveals your less than perfect self, and, you are either happy with what you see, or… shock horror!

If you are not happy with what you see, consider this for a moment: when you look at yourself in the mirror, what you see depends on the quality of that mirror. As well as this, the mental image you have of yourself helps determine how you will react. So, for example, if you think of yourself as worthwhile and valued, that quality will come across in everything you do, and to other people too. Molded by both internal and external factors, your self-image makes a huge difference in how you feel and act.

The mental image you have of yourself comprises your body image, your past personal experiences, relationships, choices, beliefs and attitudes. When you look in the mirror, all these are filtered through your own personal brain sieve and reflected back to you as your “reality”.

Imagine describing yourself to me. Would you emphasize your great sense of humour or your best physical features? Or would you go straight for your trouble spots? Your answer will largely depend on the mental image you hold of yourself.

With a negative body image, you could have a distorted perception of your shape and size, compare your body to others, and feel shame and anxiety about your body. Being unhappy with your body can affect how you think and feel about yourself as a person. A poor body image can lead to emotional distress, low self-esteem, unhealthy dieting habits, anxiety, depression, and eating disorders.

Researchers suspect that chemical imbalances in the brain may be at the root of this. Chemical imbalances can be caused by stress and anxiety, lack of good quality sleep, poor nutritional habits, and a lethargic lifestyle, amongst others.

So, knowing all this, how can you make sure that whether you choose to wear a tanga, a pair of speedos, or a kaftan on the beach this summer, you are happy in your own skin and feel confident and free?

1/ LEAVE YOUR PAST WHERE IT BELONGS: As Richard Bandler ( co-creator of NLP) says, the best thing about the past is that it is over. If you are insecure about you looks because you were bullied when you were little, so was I. It’s not nice, is it? So, quit bullying yourself.

At the same time, the best thing about the future is that you can make it whatever you want it to be. If you want to feel better about your body, waiting until your body has improved so that you can get to feel good, is kind of silly. Why not feel good now, and then go do what you need to do to have the body you want. When you feel good, doing what is necessary will be easier and more enjoyable.

2/ MAKE LOTS OF GOOD CHEMICALS: Good health, physical and mental, is about maintaining finely balanced brain and body chemistry. Keeping your body healthy through proper nutrition and exercise improves how you feel physically and mentally, and enhances the quality of your life. A healthy state of body and mind promotes a positive self-image.

Many people diet or exercise because they feel they have to. They don’t really know why eating healthily and keeping active is so vital. Think about how good you feel after a workout, or when you’ve eaten a healthy meal. Your brain releases lots of feel good chemicals after both, and this contributes hugely to your self-esteem, and a more positive body image.

3/ QUIT COMPARING YOURSELF TO OTHERS: We all want to look our best, but a healthy body is not always linked to appearance. In fact, healthy bodies come in different shapes and sizes. Yes, healthy lifestyle choices are key to improving your body image. But improving your body image also means changing the way you think about your body. Your body is unique to you. That is why it’s different from everyone else’s. So, comparing yourself to others or wishing you had someone else’s body is not a clever thing to do and it’s not going to make you feel better about yourself. For some reason, animals are so much better at this than we are. Do you think tigers in Africa look at each other and go: “oh look at her, I wish I had her paws!” If your thoughts don’t make you feel good, stop them, now!

4/ DON’T BE SO SELF-CENTERED: A recent client was shocked, to say the least, when I told him to stop being so self-centered. A lovely soft-spoken man, who came to me for help because he felt self-conscious around certain people in his business. The thing is, the line between self-consciousness and self-centredness can be a fine one. If you are too self-conscious this means you are focusing on yourself too much. This, as in my client’s case, can be misconstrued by others as arrogance, or even rudeness. Instead, start to pay more attention to the wellbeing of others. By focusing on making other people feel good, you’ll strengthen your relationship, both with others and with yourself. Not only will other people like you more, but you will start to like yourself more too.

5/ DO SOMETHING! That’s what my dear mum tells me every time I complain about anything at all. “Well, what are you gonna do about it?” (but in Spanish). If the mirror doesn’t necessarily reflect reality, could it be that you own eyes haven been lying to you too? If your mum, your partner and your friends tell you you look good, you look good. People don’t take the time and effort to pay you a compliment unless they mean it.

So, learn to acknowledge and appreciate your assets. By all means assess your weaknesses, and do something to improve them: eating right, getting adequate sleep and exercising will help balance the chemicals and hormones in your body associated with stress, anxiety and a low self-esteem.

With a healthier body image, you’ll have a more realistic perception of your size and shape. You will also feel more comfortable and happier with your body, on and off the beach!

Anna

anna@delite.ie

Gazpatxo

A traditional Spanish recipe with my own twist. Light, nutritious and cooling!

Ingredients (serves 2)

3 big ripe tomatoes

1 big green pepper

4 spring onions

1/2 garlic cloves

Red wine vinegar

Filtered/bottled water    250-300 ml

2 free range/organic boiled eggs

Sea salt, ground black pepper, extra virgin olive oil

Preparation

Peel the tomatoes and cut into small cubes. Chop the green pepper, onions and garlic very finely too.

Put all the ingredients in a big bowl.

Grind it all with an electric mixer until you achieve preferred consistency.

Add water, olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Whisk the mix.

Shred the boiled eggs on top.

Eat straight away or leave in the fridge to cool for an hour or so.

You can drink Gazpacho, or have it with a spoon as a soup, depending on the consistency.

Anna

anna@delite.ie

Avoid these at all cost

If you think that the foods you eat and how you feel have nothing to do with each other, it’s time to open your mind, and close your mouth, to certain foods, that is.

I remember my recent visit to Spain, where, for the umpteenth time I heard my own mother complain about how crappy she is feeling pretty much all the time.

And for the umpteenth time, I told her to stop eating so much bread, pasta, potatoes and sugary foods, or quit whining.

Her response is always the same:

Don’t be silly, we’ve always eaten these foods – she said.

Always? – I asked.

Yes, all my life – she insisted.

And how long have you been feeling crap? – I enquired.

Oh, for years now. But what can I do? – She asked.

Quit eating so much bread, pasta, potatoes and sugary stuff – I repeated.

Yet, she still won’t give up the source of her problem. Why?

Because as family therapist Virginia Satir once said:

Most people think that the will to survive is the strongest instinct in human beings, but it isn’t. The strongest instinct is to keep things familiar.

Sometimes, we make something so familiar, that even if it’s bad for us, we stick with it. Instead of engaging in a new behaviour, we keep doing the same thing. Even if it kills us.

The truth is that for millions of years, we humans existed on a diet of animals and vegetables. It was only with the start of agriculture about 10,000 years ago that we began ingesting large amounts of sugar and starch in the form of grains and potatoes into our diets.

However, about 99.99% of our genes were formed before the start of agriculture. So, in biological terms, our bodies are still those of hunter-gatherers!

As a result, societies that transitioned from a meat and vegetable diet to one high in cereals show a reduced lifespan, stature, increases in infant mortality and infectious disease, and higher nutritional deficiencies.

Modern humans don’t have evolved mechanisms to incorporate carbohydrates from starch- and sugar rich foods into our diet. We are consuming far too much bread, cereals, pasta, corn, rice, potatoes and sugar with serious consequences to our health. To make matters worse, most of these carbohydrates are processed.

So, if you, like my mum, are experiencing symptoms such as: excess weight, bloating, lethargy or frequent sleepiness, brain fogginess and confusion, low blood sugar, high blood pressure,  depression…  chances are that you’ve been consuming too many of those.

We all need a certain amount of good carbohydrates, of course, but, through our addiction to grains, potatoes, and other starchy and sugary foods, we are consuming far too many.

Grains and sugars suppress the immune system, contributing to allergies, and they are responsible for a lot of digestive disorders. They contribute to depression, and their excess consumption is, in fact, associated with many of the chronic diseases, such as cancer and diabetes.

As a coach, I could kid myself and my clients by solving the surface symptoms by simply hypnotising them. But then what? They go to back home and unless new healthier behaviours are implemented, the chances are it’ll all go awol again.

So, if you look or feel unhealthier than you should, whether the symptoms are showing themselves in your face, body, bones, energy, or mind, chances are that the excess sugars and grains in your diet are the primary cause. Still sceptical? Give them up for a week and notice your energy levels soar, your mind clearing up, and your face glowing!

Do you know anyone like this?

“It takes me ages to get up in the morning; I hit the snooze button at least 3 times most mornings. I feel exhausted and dread the day ahead. I am often late for work so I skip breakfast. I usually have a coffee at the office, then at 10am or so, I’ll have another coffee and a few cookies, just two or three. For lunch I’ll have a brown bread sandwich, and an apple. At about 4pm I’ll have another coffee and a couple of cookies. I usually finish at half 5. It takes me about 40 minutes to get home. By the time I arrive I’m so tired I drop my bag on the floor and curl up on the couch. I tell myself I should go out for a walk or something, but instead I’ll have a take away or some pasta and watch TV for the evening”.

That’s one way to kill oneself! Where’s the water, where’s the vegetables, where’s the protein, where’s the movement, where’s the life?

When the above quoted client came to me she was not only overweight, but looked like a zombie, and kind of behaved like one too. The living dead, that’s what I call people who just float about looking lost, with no sense of awareness or a pinch of life  emanating from them.

To my surprise, she agreed when I tagged her as one of the living dead. I was disappointed as my aim was to really get to her.

“I do –she said – I feel dead inside. Why do I feel so shit?”

I love it when my clients swear. It means they are starting to get fed up. That’s a good thing!

After a few questions (my magic questions) all excuses exhausted, she finally stopped talking a lot of BS and started making some sense.

See, most people know what they are doing wrong; they’re just too deep in their own proverbial, well… shit, to admit it.

A lot of my clients at some stage or another of a consultation wait for me to come up with the long awaited miracle cure. The magical pill that’ll solve all their problems instantly. I know this by the look I get. It’s the “soooo…, go oooon…?” look.

If I told you what to do as soon as you walk out of my practice’s door everything would stay just the same,  or worse. You don’t tell toddlers to just go pee in the toilet bowl and expect them to do it. You have to train them.

In a way, metaphorically speaking, I train adults not to wee their own pants.

See, what you need to do is to train your mind to begin to start to think more often and for longer periods of time; to actually use your brain for a change.

With this particular client, not only did she come up with a detailed plan, a step by step system on how to  improve her situation and feel better about her life, but also she felt excited for the first time in years. She even came up with her own quote!

“It’s obvious – she said – if you behave like a slug, you’re gonna feel like a slug”.

This happened on her first session. I almost exploded with pride!

“Slugs actually eat vegetables” I said. We both burst out laughing.

During the following weeks, we worked together on re-training her brain to feel good more of the time so she started to get more stuff done. Things she actually wanted to do. The basics: get up feeling energised, have breakfast, get more done in work, eat healthily, drink water, workout three times a week…

Ten days after our first coaching session she’d lost 7 pounds, which she was shocked and delighted with. Now, she says she hasn’t felt this good in years and you can tell. You can tell by the sparkle in her eyes, the smile on her face, and the spring on her step. Last week she texted me from the fitting room in a clothes shop, where she was looking in the mirror in a fitted dress she had wanted to buy for months. “Thank you sooo much. It fits!!!!”

She’s officially not part of the living dead anymore. How about you?

This is not a zombie

Anna

anna@delite.ie

If you ever get the chance to be trained by Owen, take it!

Anna
anna@delite.ie

No potatoes allowed!

One of my favourite salads ever, my version of  Salade Nicoise has everything I want in a salad. No potatoes allowed though!

Ingredients (serves 2)
2 grilled medium sized tuna steaks, or 2 medium sized cans of tuna steak
2 hard boiled eggs (boil for about 5 minutes), peeled and quartered
1 medium head of  lettuce (not iceberg!), washed and torn into bite sized pieces
2 medium ripe tomatoes, cut into eighths
1 small red onion, sliced very thin
150 grms green beans, ends trimmed and halved
1/4 cup pitted black olives
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and/or several anchovies

lemon juice
extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Hymalayan Salt, ground black pepper, dried oregano

Preparation

Whisk lemon juice, olive oil and mustard in a small bowl; season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside.

Toss lettuce with 1/4 cup vinaigrette in large bowl until coated.

Cut grilled tuna into 1/2-inch thick slices, if it’s canned tuna, simply get rid of excess oil and place in the centre of the bowl.

Add the sliced tomatoes and red onion.

Boil green beans until tender but crisp, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain, transfer to a cold water bowl, and let stand until just cool, about 30 seconds; dry beans well.

Add beans to the rest of the salad.

Also add hard boiled eggs, olives, and anchovies (or capers). Drizzle the whole salad with remaining 2-3 tablespoons of dressing. Sprinkle the salad with dried oregano, and serve!

Hope you enjoy my carb free Nicoise!

Anna

anna@delite.ie

With the anti-aging industry raking billions every year, powerful manufacturing companies dominating the global beauty products market, and celebrities on the cover of magazines looking slimmer,  more beautiful and younger and younger, one wonders… are expensive creams, cosmetic surgery and other extreme beauty procedures the only way to win the race against time?

With my thirty fifth birthday just gone, friends and clients are often shocked when I say I have never used any anti aging products, or even had a facial! When I get asked what I do to defy the aging process and my answer tends to surprise people too.

The things I do to ensure I stay young inside and out has nothing to do with defiance and everything to do with health. These are my tips on how you can look and feel young naturally, and without breaking the bank or resorting to torturous methods:

1/ ELIMINATE NEGATIVE SELF-TALK: Self-talk has been shown in research by medical and communication professionals to affect health states. Every time you send a negative thought through your mind you get to feel bad. Every time you feel bad toxic chemicals are released in your brain and travel throughout your body. This causes bad health. And bad health causes premature aging.

So, if you want to live longer, feel healthier and look younger, it’s a good idea to shut down those crappy thoughts and start to feed your mind more useful thoughts that make you feel better more of the time. This is where Richard Bandler’s (creator of NLP) infamous STFU mantra comes in handy. Just tell yourself to shut up!

2/ MINIMISE STRESS: Dr. Elissa Epel headed a stress study, at the University of California, San Francisco about 5 years ago. For the first time, research shows that stress speeds the aging process by harming DNA.

Did you ever know someone under so much stress they aged right before your eyes? It seems to happen to presidents after a term or two, and maybe you’ve noticed something similar in your own mirror.

But there’s a silver lining: We can offset the impact of stress. As Brian Colbert, author of The Happiness Habit, says, if you are going to worry, worry constructively.

Start by asking yourself more useful questions such as: what is the most useful thing to do right now? What do I want to happen now? What has to happen for that to happen? What can I do right now to start to feel better and more relaxed? Useful questions lead to useful answers.

3/ FALL  IN LOVE: True health starts with acceptance and love for oneself. If you are not happy with yourself or your life right now, it’s important that you appreciate the bits you do like, identify the bits you want to improve on, and do something about it.

As Owen Fitzpatrick, author of Not Enough Hours, says, you are not what you do, you are everything you can become at your very best. So, it’s useful to always keep improving yourself so that you can love yourself more and become the person you want to be.

If you are lucky enough to feel connected to other people, feel respected and valued by other people, and have a sense of belonging, then you may have more than a lot of people in the world. So, one of the keys to staying young is to appreciate and love yourself and life!

4/ LAUGH YOUR WRINKLES AWAY: I’ve heard some celebrities avoid smiling in an attempt to keep wrinkles at bay. In fact, there is evidence to the opposite being true!

Laughter boosts your immune system, decreases pain, relaxes your muscles, and prevents heart disease. A good, hearty laugh relieves physical tension and stress, adds joy and zest to life, eases anxiety and fear, improves mood and enhances resilience. Laughter strengthens relationships, and also makes us more attractive to others!

My tips for a younger more beautiful looking you: watch a funny movie or TV show, go to a comedy club, hang out with funny people, share a good joke or a funny story, host game night with friends, take a laughter yoga class, do something silly for no reason!

5/ LIFT WEIGHTS: I remember watching a program where Oprah went looking for the oldest people in the world in an attempt to discover the secrets to their longevity and good health. From America to Europe to Asia, all of them shared a common denominator: they all stayed extremely active.

I clearly remember this centenarian American woman saying she lifted weights every day. And they were not 2lb dumbbells!

Weight training enhances bone and muscle strength, tones up your body and speeds up your metabolism. It also improves balance and co-ordination, burns a whole lot of calories, and it’s been proven to boost your self confidence! All essential ingredients for a young and vibrant body and mind.

6/ EAT WHAT YOU ARE GENETICALLY PROGRAMMED TO EAT: I’ve been lucky to meet Phil Richards, world renowned nutritionist, who works with top Olympic athletes and well known celebrities. I’ve attended his health seminars, had my blood examined by him and picked his brains to no end.

It seems that the reason why we are getting older faster is because we are not eating the foods we are genetically programmed to eat. Apparently, since the caveman era, even though we have technologically evolved to amazing lengths, our digestive system has only evolved about 1.5%!

Phil advices we stick to a diet of clean water, vegetables, nuts, berries, seeds, and protein in the form of good quality eggs, fish and lean meats. Keep it fresh, seasonal and unprocessed, and eat most of your food raw.

7/ QUIT RUBBING CHEMICALS ON YOUR SKIN: Have you ever examined the ingredients list on your regular skin care products? Most of the skin care products that you buy contain harmful chemicals. These chemicals not only harm your skin, they can also have very bad impact on your health.

Most of the ingredients used in skin care products are petroleum by-products and also explosive solvents, carcinogens that can affect your long-term health. They are mainly used by many cosmetic industries because they are cheap and can be easily stored in shelves for many days.

Stay young by avoiding chemicals such as: mineral oil, sodium lauryl sulphate, paraben preservatives, talc, lanolin, artificial fragrances, polyethylene glycol, phenol…  Stick to natural face and body products that are made with few ingredients that you can pronounce and understand.

Follow these tips and notice how much more revitalised you feel as you free your beautiful and youthful self!

Beauty has many faces

Anna

anna@delite.ie

Burn it!

Ingredients (serves 2)

200grms of organic beef mince

2 big organic red peppers (you can also use canned oven roasted peppers or spanish “pimientos piquillo”)

1 medium white onion

1 clove of garlic

1 large organic egg

Hymalayan salt, ground black pepper, extra virgin olive oil, fresh coriander, chilli flakes

Preparation

Chop the garlic clove and onion finely.

Put the mince in a bowl. Add the egg, lots of finely chopped fresh coriander, salt, pepper and chilli flakes to taste. Mix it all well.

Put some olive oil in a pan and sauté the garlic and onion until golden. Add the mince mix and cook for about 15 minutes at medium heat.

In the mean time, put the red peppers in an oven tray to roast at 180C for about 20 minutes. Make sure you watch them regularly and turn them so they get roasted evenly.

Leave them to cool for about 10 minutes and then carefully peel them and de-seed them (soak your fingers in water a few times as you do this to avoid the skin getting stuck to your fingers).

Fill the peppers up with the cooked mince mix.

Serve with a mixed leaf salad.

Let me know how you like this super healthy and gratifying recipe!

Anna

anna@delite.ie

Do you have a big "but"?

Are you a big “but” person?

“I would, BUT…”

“Yeah, BUT…”

“I know, BUT…”

“I could, BUT…”

“I understand that, BUT…”

“I should, BUT…”

Big buts are usually precursors to statements like “I don’t have the time” or “it’s too hard” or “I’ve tried before and it didn’t work”…

The word “but” is often the introduction to every rationalization for mediocre performance, inaction, and self-pity.

Most people allow their environment to direct their actions: if you work for a boss who is not interested in your new ideas, you stop creating new ideas. If your co-worker avoids teamwork, you retreat to your desk and sulk. If your partner fails to hold their end of the bargain, you stop trying. If you haven’t followed your food plan perfectly for the whole week, you give up…

That three letter word can create big problems: Big but problems.

Your big but is a symptom. Not of what others do to you, but of a poor attitude.

Your poor attitude. And your poor belief system. So, what you need to do is get your butt in gear right now! How?

Here are 6 steps to help you eliminate your big but:

1. Start moving: The hardest part of any task is starting. Once you get moving, you will find that inertia will keep you motivated. This is not time to overthink or to feel, this is time to take action!

2. Give yourself a chance: If you give up a task or project at the first sign of adversity, eventually you will convince yourself that your next project is not worth starting. Instead, focus all of your energy on completing the task at hand, no matter what. It doesn’t have to be perfect, it just has to be done to the best of your ability.

3. Build a powerful belief system: Powerful beliefs will beat big buts anytime. The bigger your own self-belief, the more likely you are to overcome any real or made up challenges.

4. Be bold: Do it anyway, regardless of your but! Basically, tell the devil on your left shoulder to just shut the heck up, and take the reins of your mind.

5. Exercise your freedom: Freedom to succeed implies freedom to fail. Even the best football players fail more often than they score . But the goals they score when they do score are the ones that make them win the match, and the ones we remember.

6. Know when to quit: Sometimes we fail. Sometimes shit happens. Quitting is a choice, and sometimes it’s the best choice. Most times though, it is not the best choice. Especially, if  there are things you want to achieve in life. So, what are you going to do? Give up, or try something different?

The bottom line is: your biggest but is in your head!

Anna

anna@delite.ie